Israel Nni Ahonu
1“Mommra, momma yɛnsane nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
Wɔatete yɛn mu asinasini
nanso ɔbɛsa yɛn yadeɛ.
Wapirapira yɛn
nanso ɔbɛkyekyere yɛn apirakuro.
2Nnanu akyiri, ɔbɛma yɛanya ahoɔden;
nansa so, ɔde yɛn bɛsi yɛn siberɛ
na yɛanya nkwa wɔ nʼanim.
3Momma yɛnnye Awurade nto mu;
momma yɛn nkɔ so nnye no nto mu.
Sɛdeɛ awia pue da biara no, ɔbɛpue;
ɔbɛba yɛn nkyɛn te sɛ osuo a ɛtɔ awɔberɛ mu
anaa osutɔberɛ mu nsuo a ɛfɔ asase.”
4“Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi de wo ayɛ, Efraim?
Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi de wo ayɛ, Yuda?
Mo dɔ te sɛ anɔpa bɔ,
ɛte sɛ anɔpa bosuo a ɛtu yera.
5Mede mʼadiyifoɔ twitwaa mo mu asinasini,
mede mʼanum nsɛm kunkumm mo;
mʼatemmuo baa mo so sɛ anyinam.
6Mepɛ ahummɔborɔ na ɛnyɛ afɔrebɔ,
mepɛ Onyankopɔn ho nimdeɛ sene ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ.
7Wɔabu apam no so sɛdeɛ Adam yɛeɛ.
Wɔanni me nokorɛ wɔ hɔ.
8Gilead yɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ kuropɔn
a mogya anammɔn akeka hɔ.
9Sɛdeɛ akwanmukafoɔ ka ɛkwan mu no
saa ara na asɔfo kuo no nso yɛ;
wɔdi awu wɔ Sekem kwantempɔn so
yɛ nnebɔne a ɛyɛ animguaseɛ.
10Mahunu ahodwiredeɛ wɔ Israel fie.
Ɛhɔ, Efraim kɔ adwamammɔ mu
Israel gu ne ho fi.
11“Na wo Yuda nso,
wɔahyɛ otwa berɛ ama wo.
“Ɛberɛ biara a mede me nkurɔfoɔ ahonya asane ama wɔn,
Israel Refuses to Turn Away From Their Sins
1The people say, “Come.
Let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces.
But he will heal us.
He has wounded us.
But he’ll bandage our wounds.
2After two days he will give us new life.
On the third day he’ll make us like new again.
Then we will enjoy his blessing.
3Let’s recognize him as the Lord.
Let’s keep trying to know him.
You can be sure the sun will rise.
And you can be just as sure the Lord will appear.
He will come to renew us like the winter rains.
He will be like the spring rains that water the earth.”
4The Lord says, “Ephraim, what can I do with you?
And what can I do with you, Judah?
Your love for me vanishes like the morning mist.
It soon disappears like the early dew.
5So I used the words of my prophets to cut you in pieces.
I used my words to put you to death.
Then my judgments blazed out like the sun.
6I want mercy and not sacrifice.
I want you to recognize me as God
instead of bringing me burnt offerings.
7Just as at the city of Adam, they disobeyed me,
they have broken the covenant I made with them.
They were not faithful to me there.
8Ramoth Gilead is a city where sinful people live.
It is stained with footprints of blood.
9On the road to Shechem, groups of priests act like robbers.
They hide and wait to attack people.
They murder them.
So they carry out their evil plans.
10I have seen a horrible thing in Israel.
The people of Ephraim are unfaithful to their own God.
The people of Israel are ‘unclean.’
11“People of Judah, I have also appointed a time
for you to be destroyed.
“I would like to bless my people
with great success again.
